Peter & the Wolf Live at the Southbank

Christmas is inevitably a time for families; a time for children to discover time-treasured tales, and for their parents to revisit the innocence of their childhood. This year the Southbank Centre has the perfect event to cater to such needs, as screenings of Peter & the Wolf narrated live by Jarvis Cocker are set to take place on the 29th and 30th of December.

Peter & the Wolf is the famous 1930s Russian children’s story by Sergei Prokofiev, traditionally told by a narrator and accompanied by an orchestra. It tells the story of a young boy and his bravery against the threatening figure of the wolf; in the original version, each character is represented by a particular instrument, however it has been adapted into many forms and languages since its premiere. The Southbank will be showing the 2006 film adaptation by British director Suzie Templeton, with text from renowned poet Simon Armitage and the addition of a live orchestra.

A fair few audience members will be pushed towards buying tickets to see an appearance by Jarvis Cocker, who has become something of a cultural figure in recent years thanks to his BBC 6music show and appearance on Question Time. Most excitingly for Cocker fans however, is his recent announcement that the band with whom he found fame, Pulp, are to reunite after a nine year hiatus and will be playing summer festivals in 2011. This may be one of the last side projects Cocker engages in before returning to shake his hips in front of thousands and belting out classics like ‘Common People’.

Tickets are available online from the Southbank Centre and at the Box office, costing £14 – £50, concession rate of 50% off available in limited numbers.